Normally I prefer the non-white variety of most things. Brown eggs, crimini mushrooms, red onions, yams, brown rice, etc etc. Today I found myself in the kitchen with an abundance of white things: white mushrooms, white fennel, white beans. Just because it looks boring doesn't mean it has to lack in flavor.
I should probably get around to introducing myself and the purpose of this blog, but I'm going to save that for another day and get right to the recipe. For now all you need to know about me is that I'm a life-long vegetarian slowly getting more flexible (more on that later) and I almost never measure things. If any of my recipe measurements seem like too little or two much (unless it specifically says otherwise) feel free to adjust to your own preferences.
Today:
Great Northern bean and fennel stew with potatoes and mushrooms.
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
4-5 small dutch potatoes or similar, diced (Yukons, russet, red, any variety would go nicely but I love the texture of these little ones)
1/2 red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced (I left this out because my housemate is allergic)
8 oz white mushrooms (honestly I prefer crimini but Trader Joe's was out. either would work) quartered.
1 box (32 oz) stock of choice*
2 (15 oz) cans Great Northern Beans
4 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Spices: (All optional, all to taste)
Crushed red pepper flakes
Herbs de provence
oregano
salt and pepper
balsamic vinegar
Za'atar
A note on spices:
This is where the bit about me hating to measure comes up. I love red pepper flakes so I use a lot, but if you're worried about too much heat aim for about a teaspoon. The Herbs de provence are a pretty common spice blend but if you don't have a jar handy use rosemary, sage, savory, and thyme as you like. Za'atar is a Palestinian spice blend mainly of sumac and thyme which I love and use on everything. If you don't have it, try regular thyme. If you're an experienced cook you probably know what spices and blends you want to use and how much. If you're a beginner, try adding a teaspoon of each and tasting as you go, adjusting if you want more. Fresh herbs are probably the best to use, and once I get my garden going I'll likely use more of those. For now, dried spices it is.
Slice off the green bits of the fennel and 1/4 inch of the bottom of the bulb. Slice the bulb in half and then thinly chop. Melt butter in a large pan (or add the olive oil if you prefer) and add the fennel, cooking on medium-high heat. Add the spices to taste.
Add the diced potatoes, a splash of olive oil and another good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir well and continue cooking on medium high heat. After the potatoes have been in for a couple of minutes (don't panic too much about time) add the diced onions, garlic and the mushrooms. Stir well.
When you notice the potatoes are starting to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a cup of the broth and lower the heat to medium. Keep stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a silicon spatula. Allow everything to simmer together, adding more broth, one cup at a time, as it cooks down.
Add the rest of the broth and simmer until potatoes are tender, another 5-10 minutes. Keep tasting and adjust the salt and spice as needed. When everything is tender and ready to eat, finish with a splash of balsamic vinegar, or a squeeze of lemon if you prefer. Serve hot, with crusty bread.
I think it adds a nice flavor and since I cook for 3 omnivores, I tend to keep it in the pantry. I've never found a recipe that couldn't use veggie stock instead, so go with whatever you have on hand, or homemade if you're showing off.
I've always been a bit of an improvisational cook and, to a lesser extent, baker. I know that some prefer rigid structure, especially those who are new to cooking. Certain basic ingredients are usually fine to be a bit liberal with, and you shouldn't stress about how much to add. Start with a little, taste, and add more if you like:
My recipes won't include garlic, but that's another ingredient that you can usually be pretty flexible with.
I should probably get around to introducing myself and the purpose of this blog, but I'm going to save that for another day and get right to the recipe. For now all you need to know about me is that I'm a life-long vegetarian slowly getting more flexible (more on that later) and I almost never measure things. If any of my recipe measurements seem like too little or two much (unless it specifically says otherwise) feel free to adjust to your own preferences.
Today:
Great Northern bean and fennel stew with potatoes and mushrooms.
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
4-5 small dutch potatoes or similar, diced (Yukons, russet, red, any variety would go nicely but I love the texture of these little ones)
1/2 red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced (I left this out because my housemate is allergic)
8 oz white mushrooms (honestly I prefer crimini but Trader Joe's was out. either would work) quartered.
1 box (32 oz) stock of choice*
2 (15 oz) cans Great Northern Beans
4 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Spices: (All optional, all to taste)
Crushed red pepper flakes
Herbs de provence
oregano
salt and pepper
balsamic vinegar
Za'atar
A note on spices:
This is where the bit about me hating to measure comes up. I love red pepper flakes so I use a lot, but if you're worried about too much heat aim for about a teaspoon. The Herbs de provence are a pretty common spice blend but if you don't have a jar handy use rosemary, sage, savory, and thyme as you like. Za'atar is a Palestinian spice blend mainly of sumac and thyme which I love and use on everything. If you don't have it, try regular thyme. If you're an experienced cook you probably know what spices and blends you want to use and how much. If you're a beginner, try adding a teaspoon of each and tasting as you go, adjusting if you want more. Fresh herbs are probably the best to use, and once I get my garden going I'll likely use more of those. For now, dried spices it is.
Slice off the green bits of the fennel and 1/4 inch of the bottom of the bulb. Slice the bulb in half and then thinly chop. Melt butter in a large pan (or add the olive oil if you prefer) and add the fennel, cooking on medium-high heat. Add the spices to taste.
Add the diced potatoes, a splash of olive oil and another good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir well and continue cooking on medium high heat. After the potatoes have been in for a couple of minutes (don't panic too much about time) add the diced onions, garlic and the mushrooms. Stir well.
When you notice the potatoes are starting to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a cup of the broth and lower the heat to medium. Keep stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a silicon spatula. Allow everything to simmer together, adding more broth, one cup at a time, as it cooks down.
Add the rest of the broth and simmer until potatoes are tender, another 5-10 minutes. Keep tasting and adjust the salt and spice as needed. When everything is tender and ready to eat, finish with a splash of balsamic vinegar, or a squeeze of lemon if you prefer. Serve hot, with crusty bread.
I undercooked my potatoes just a touch, added a cup of water and then transferred everything to a slow cooker on "warm" for the rest of the afternoon, so it should be just perfect once my roommates get home for dinner.
This dish can be made vegan (use olive oil instead of butter) or could be made with the meat of your choice for omnivores.
*About that stock. While I call myself a vegetarian, I've never minded food cooked in chicken stock:
I've always been a bit of an improvisational cook and, to a lesser extent, baker. I know that some prefer rigid structure, especially those who are new to cooking. Certain basic ingredients are usually fine to be a bit liberal with, and you shouldn't stress about how much to add. Start with a little, taste, and add more if you like:
My recipes won't include garlic, but that's another ingredient that you can usually be pretty flexible with.
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